James, the brother of Jesus, is a figure largely unknown to the majority of Christians. Doctrinally, the existence of a physical brother of Jesus – if this is what James was – is to say the least, an embarrassment. Furthermore, how he came to be head of the Jerusalem church so soon after the death of Jesus is shrouded in mystery. All this makes him a fascinating subject for a full-length study, all the more so since any attempt to answer the questions surrounding him necessarily leads to a wider investigation: of the nature of Judaism at the time of the birth of Christianity, of the person and message of Jesus, and of the earliest church. Here more attention than usual has to be paid to the perspectives of those who did not eventually come out on top and write the official Christian history.

Pierre-Antoine Bernheim is an expert and sure guide on all these questions, combining almost the style of a mystery writer with a clear grasp of the evidence and the results of wide research. He has a touch which many scholars can only envy. Those who have grown weary of the dullness of so much of current New Testament study and appreciate historical puzzles can for once simply sit back and enjoy following a great story-teller whose conclusions have serious implications, for all the lightness with which they are presented.

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